SP Mail: Letters to the Editor

Riding that train

Regarding “Air-gravation” (Oct. 7): I too have given Amtrak a fresh look. It could be a lot better, but if you have the time it can be a really nice trip. There is far more room aboard an Amtrak train [than in the cabin of most commercial airplanes] and most of them have some sort of cafe to sit in to offer a change of pace. One has to be patient, as they are often late, but I did not seem to mind that as much as I do when flying. I’ve absolutely had it with the airports, airlines and security nonsense. I will now fly only when necessary. As for the rest, book me on Amtrak!

--As posted by “Mark” on sundaypaper.com

I want Blane Bachelor’s job

Regarding “The Great Divide” (Ask a Bachelor, Oct. 7): The gloves are off, sister. Advice columnist Blane Bachelor is taking for granted some peoples’ very bad decisions and not addressing their problems. And then, she gives advice on the awkward circumstances that arise from the resulting poor judgment.
 
First off, regarding Blane’s experience of living in Spain and having Wussy McDooglewitz come and visit her (he got mad because she blew him off). Well, what a couple of dorks. LDRs (long distance relationships) don’t work. It was only a matter of time before she blew him off. He was a major idiot for thinking he was going to go to Barcelona and get with her. WOW! I can’t believe a guy is that screwed up. So he deserved what he got. The woman who wrote to Blane gives a classic reason to cut things off: The address changes significantly. Unless they’re married, and the long distance situation is only short-term, theirs is no relationship. It’s a joke.
 
Besides, there are way too many women in Atlanta to worry about just one in Barcelona—or anywhere else. Blane should have scolded the writer for not having the courage to break up when she left Europe or when her boyfriend left the states. I would definitely classify the woman as needy.
 
OK, as for the woman who keeps getting these guys who won’t stop calling. Pretty simple solution to that: Stop dating needy little metrosexual mama’s boys. If you don’t know how to identify a man who “gets it” .. .well, it’s easy—if the first date involves dinner, and he’s trying to impress his date and act like he can be a provider ... Bingo! And really the introduction can tell a woman a lot about a man. If he’s all formal, and buying her drinks, as opposed to loose, sexy and fun ... target acquired, call in heavy artillery and blow him off! (Figuratively, of course!)
 
Women want exciting men who can act like lovers. Sexy and exciting men will have some sort of adventure date planned. Really my favorite first date is coffee/tea and a conversation. If you can handle 45 minutes together and have a good time yukking it up, and all you have to go on is each other’s company, then you probably have chemistry.
 
Woman No. 2’s only fault is she was unable to identify an exciting man that she will feel attraction toward. She must be playing too much with numbers—adding up men according to some formula. Instead, she should trust her own feelings about each interaction and trust that she is probably pretty smart and a good judge of character.
 Blane’s advice for her was practical, but unlikely. Most women are very emotionally based, and would pine too much over telling a guy it won’t work. And really, doesn’t the guy become obnoxious after he’s called 10 times with no response (or maybe it was somewhere around dinner, when he wouldn’t shut up and stop talking about himself trying to impress her)?
 
My rule is simple. After a good date, I’ll call once to arrange another date, if we had chemistry. And that’s it—once. If she says no and doesn’t make a counter-offer, for example, “No, Tuesday I’m busy, how about Wednesday?” I don’t call back and ask again. If I have to leave a message, I let her know it’s me and to call me back. If I get no response, I toss the number.
 
—Tony C., Atlanta

10 reasons why defeat in Iraq is good

OK, columnist Eric Von Haessler asked for it (“Why Defeat is Good,” Oct. 7), so here are 10 reasons why “defeat in Iraq is good.”
 
1. The money saved in defeat can fund health care in our country, which will save more lives each year than terrorists take (or perhaps have ever killed).
 
2. No more American soldiers will die.
 
3. We will begin to heal our rift with the Muslim world, which is the only way terrorism will really ever end.
 
4. We can stop torturing people. God definitely doesn’t like us doing this, and we know what happens when He doesn’t “shed His grace on thee.”
 
5. We could afford to alleviate poverty and ignorance around the world, which is the only way democracies ever really develop. 
 
6. We could begin to apologize to our old allies for electing Bush twice, and assure them that sanity will rule again in our foreign policies.
 
7. The investigations could start so we could finally all come to agreement. It was just about money, power and oil.
 
8. The gross profiteering would stop, and if anyone belongs in Gitmo, it’s these profiteers.
 
9. We could restore Habeas Corpus and end illegal surveillance.
 
10. The families of the soldiers could sleep at night.
 
 Oh, there is one more: I could stop writing letters to the editor complaining about the war.

--Dr. Robert Soloway, Decatur

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